One of the most beautiful movie actresses to grace the silver screen, Lauren Bacall, died on Tuesday, August 12, at the age of 89.
Bacall’s original name was betty Joan Perske. Bacall was born on September 16, 1924, in New York City. Her mother’s name was Natalie Weinstein-Bacal, her father, from whom her mother was divorced when Bacall was five years old, was William Perske. Her father and the father of Shimon Peres were brothers from Wolozyn, Poland.
Lauren Bacall became a film star at age 19, and married Humphrey Bogart when she was 21. She was in dozens of major films such as “To Have and Have Not,” “The Big Sleep,” “Key Largo,” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.”
Bacall was also a star of the stage, and won two Tony awards. One was for the role of Margo Channing in “Applause,” a musical created from the fabulous film “All About Eve,” which starred Bette Davis.
The Los Angeles Times reported Bacall’s death was confirmed by Robbert de Klerk, the co-managing partner of the Humphrey Bogart Estate.
“She passed away peacefully earlier today in New York,” according to family, de Klerk said.
About her Jewishness, Bacall had this to say:
“I don’t think being the only child of a single parent helped. I was always a little unsteady in my self-belief. Then there was the Jewish thing. I love being Jewish, I have no problem with it at all. But it did become like a scar, with all these people saying you don’t look it.”